Steel link belts



Dec. 16, 1958 w. BECKER ETAL 2,864,487

STEEL LINK BELTS Filed June 22, 1953 6 sheets-sheet 1 a 2 Mrs/wra s KMZZ,

Dec. 16, 1958 w. BECKER ETAL 2,864,487 STEEL LINK BELTS I Filed June 22, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 w. BECKER ETAL 2,864,487.

Dec. 16, 1958 STEEL LINK BELTS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 22, 1955 FIG? Whi a Dec. 16, 1958 w. BECKER ET AL ,4

STEEL LINK BELTS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 22, 1953 INVf/WUBS Wm BMM ay wuzwal. :MS

Dec. 16, 1958 w. BECKER iEl'AL 2,864,437

STEEL LINK BELTS Filed June .22, 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 16, 1958 w. BECKER ETAL 2,8

STEEL LINK BELTS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 22, 1953 United States Patent STEEL LINK BELTS Wilhelm Becker, Datteln, Georg Kriill, Angermund, and Oskar Noe, Duisburg-Bissingheim, Germany, assignors to Untertage-Maschinenbau G. m. b. H., Residinghausen, Germany, a German company Application June 22, 1953, Serial No. 363,228 Claims priority, application Germany June 23, 1952 14 Claims. (Cl. 198-196) This invention relates to steel link belts, preferably of the kind equipped with rotating rollers, more especially for use in mining operations below ground.

In the known constructions of steel link belts of the foregoing character, flat link chains are practically exclusively used as traction means and these chains are subject to the limitation, often found to be a great drawback, that the length of the individual trough plates must be equal to, or a multiple of, the chain pitch so that they can be guided properly over the chain wheels. It has been necessary to make the bottoms of the trough plates convex and so that they overlap at both ends so as to maintain the joint between adjacent trough plates when passing over the chain wheels at the driving and return ends of the belt.

This overlapping of adjacent trough plates imparts to the entire belt a stiffness which is undesirable, especially for the passage of the belt trough depressions, in the event of cocking up of the conveyor surface at one side due to unevennesses of the floor, or as regards the ability of the belt to travel through curves.

The invention provides a belt which is based on a novel principle of construction, which not only obviates all these drawbacks but which in addition is remarkable for its excellent ability to travel through curves, affords a saving in weight for the same capacity as compared with belts of the known construction, resulting in correspondingly greater belt lengths, and which above all in a much more favourable manner permits the use of ordinary link chains as traction means.

These advantages are achieved according to the fundamental idea of the invention by interposing between the individual trough plates of the belt intermediate members which connect said plates in a hinged and relatively slidable manner. If desired the reaction means, which preferably comprise ordinary link chains, may be secured to the intermediate members, the mounting of the chains on the intermediate members being rendered possible in a particularly expedient manner by a construction thereof to be described more fully hereinafter.

The connection of the trough plates to each other in the foregoing manner is effected, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in that the intermediate members are forked on both sides and receive in these forks the end edges of the trough plates connected by such intermediate members.

Preferably the forks are so constructed that, from their outer ends, where the fork arms form a slit of only slightly larger width than the thickness 'of the material of the trough plates, they are widened inwardly, both upwardly and downwardly, in such a manner that the pivotal movements of the trough plate edges, which occur when the belt is running over the driving or reversing wheels, are not impeded.

The intermediate members, which preferably comprise two pressed plate members connected together, for example, by welding, may extend over the entire width of the trough plates and if desired also over a part of the sides thereof. In addition to their actual purpose of connecting the trough plates to one another, they serve at the same time to stiffen the trough plates which may thus be constructed of material of substantially less thickness than has heretofore been usual and necessary.

It is not necessary for the introduction slits in the intermediate members to be continuous and-they may accordingly be interrupted, for example by constructing the fork arm which is uppermost in the top run of the belt of individual and preferably resilient plates disposed at laterally spaced intervals. The lower fork arm in the top run of the belt is preferably provided, in the region of its end edge forming the slit, with convexities at laterally spaced intervals whereby the slit is locally widened to permit any of the conveyed material or the like which enters it to drop out.

According to another embodiment of the invention the intermediate members may be widened to such an extent as to form trough plates themselves or to replace the trough plates. This may be effected by an element forked at both ends alternating with an element which is not forked at the ends, the latter being inserted by its absolutely fiat edges into the forks of the adjoining intermediate members. -In another possible embodiment each of the intermediate members may be forked only at one end and have its end which is not forked inserted into the fork of the intermediate member adjacent to it.

The steel link belt according to the invention, when it embodies link chains as the traction means, may be provided either with double chains, disposed one at each side of the trough plates, or with a single center chain.

If a double chain is used as the traction means a particular feature of the invention is a novel method of attaching the chain links to the intermediate members. For this purpose the intermediate members may be provided with side brackets which are always supported on a link of each of the chains, the latter being carried in turn by the track roller axles. The respective chain links are held on to the brackets for example by means of pegs which extend downwardly from such brackets and pass through the chain link where they are held by a pin or the like passing through the peg transversely of the axis of the latter. On the other hand if a center chain is used, preferably a round link chain, this may be fixed according to the invention to the intermediate members hingedly and slidably connecting the trough plates to one another by making each intermediate member of a width corresponding to a length of two links of the round link chain, advantageously a middle vertical link and half of each of the two adjoining horizontal links.

The fixing of the center chain to the intermediate members is effected according to one embodiment of the invention by means of straps secured to the intermediate members, said straps carrying at their ends lugs which engage in the two horizontal links of the chain one half of which links is allotted to each intermediate member. If desired the chain links maybe held on said lugs by tightening pins or the like.

In order to allow satisfactory rolling of the chain links on the lugs in the region of the driving and return points of the belt the said lugs must have lateral exten- Patented Dec. 16, 1958 intermediate members with respect to each other when the belt is running over the chain sprockets.

According to another embodiment of the invention the fixing lugs for the chain may be carried directly from the bottoms of the intermediate members without the interposition of a strap.

In the last-mentioned embodiment, however, steps must be taken to ensure the same guiding hold of the intermediate member on the adjoining trough plate as is achieved in the previous embodiments. Fcr'this purpose a downwardly bent-out strap or tongue is connected to the bottom of the trough plate to form with the latter a fork into which the edge of the intermediate member engages.

As the pivot angle between one trough plate and the next is halved by the interposition of the intermediate members, and as moreover the pivot point between the trough plate and the intermediate member no longer coincides with the pivot point of the respective individual chain links, it is possible to increase the length of the rough plates considerably to such an extent that it amounts to a multiple of the chain pitch.

Due to the foregoing result it is merely necessary to insure that the bottom of the comparatively long trough plates do not abut against the chain when running round over the chain sprockets. For this purpose, according to a further feature of the invention, the bottoms of the comparatively long trough plates are made concave, in the region of the center axis of the belt, such concavity being concentric with respect to the chain sprocket. These groove-like concavities do not result in any marked reduction in the filling cross-section but on the other hand provide a desirable stifiening of the trough plates.

When equipped with a center chain the belt has a greater ability to travel through curves than the known steel link belts utilizing a center chain because the inter mediate members are always secured to two points of the chain and hence are held more firmly against lateral deilection in the region of curves. When describing a curve the belt has to be guided additionally at the side and for this purpose it is provided with pairs of guide rollers rotating about vertical axles in a manner known per se. On the outside of the curve, mounted on the supporting structure of the belt, there is provided a guide rail on which the outside roller of these guide rollers runs. The inner roller of the two guide rollers remains inoperative, i. e., does not engage its guide rail.

Further features and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description of several embodiments of the new steel link belt with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side view, partly in section, of a portion of a belt and illustrating two trough plates connected together using double chains as the traction means,

Figure 2 is a vertical section through a trough plate according to Figure 1 on a larger scale,

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 2 but with the section taken at the point of attachment of the track rollers,

Figure 4 is a plan of a portion of belt,

Figure 5 is a side view of a portion of the belt at a return point, this figure showing in detail how the belt is carried round the return wheel or drum,

Figures 6 and 7 are sections on the lines VI-VI and VII-VII respectively in Figure 2,

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate other possible constructions of the intermediate members, being sections in the planes VIII-VIII and IX-IX respectively of Figure 10,

Figure 10 shows a possible method of attaching the link chain to the intermediate members,

Figures 11 and 12 show other possible methods of attaching the link chain to the intermediate members,

Figures 13 and 14 show in side view, partly in section, two other embodiments of thebelt according to which the trough plates themselves are formed in the manner of intermediate members,

Figure 15 is a side view of the belt having a continuous round link center chain as the traction means, the figure illustrating the belt in the region of a reversing plate,

Figure 16 is a section through a trough plate on the line XVIXVI of Figure 15,

Figure 17 is a side view of part of the belt according to Figure 15 on a larger scale,

Figure 18 is a section through the belt in the region of the intermediate member on the line XVIIL-XVIII of Figure 15,

Figure 19 is a plan of the belt according to Figure 15 in the region of a curve, and

Figure 20 is a side view of another embodiment, resulting from the retaining lugs for the chain being secured directly to the intermediate members, a continuous center chain being again used as the traction means.

in Figures 1 to 5 the reference numerals 1 and2 indicate two successive trough plates of the new double chain steel link belt which are connected so as to be movable relatively to each other by an intermediate member 3 of a construction to be described in detail. According to the preferred embodiment shown, link chains 4 movable in all directions are used as the traction means. In Figure 1 the dimension 5 indicates the vertical distance of the supporting surface of the trough plates from the longitudinal axis of the chain, this distance being selected according to a particular feature of the invention in accordance with the chain wheel diameter and the distance between two successive carrying members, such that the change in length required for the belt to run round the driving and return wheels will be a minimum.

The intermediate members 3 preferably comprise two plate elements 3', 3" welded together at the centre and forked at both sides, forming between the fork members 6, 6 slits of substantially the same thickness as the material of the trough plates. From the slits the distance between the jaws of the fork members increases both upwardly and downwardly so that, as shown more particularly in dotted lines in Figure 1, the trough plates can roll freely about the pivots formed by the narrowest point of the slit, for example when running round the chain wheels. The intermediate members 3 extend at least over the entire width of the trough plates and if desired also, as in the example illustrated in Figure 1, over the sides. In the latter case it may be desirable for the intermediate members to widen upwardly in a longitudinal direction, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, in order to prevent the formation of an excessively large gap even with the maximum possible angular displacement relatively to the adjoining trough plates.

Figures 2, 6 and 7 show how, by convexities formed at laterally spaced intervals in the lower part 3 of the intermediate members, local widening of the slit is produced and as a result thereof downwardly sloping glide surfaces 7 from which any conveyed material which may enter through the slit, in the region of the top run of the belt, can fall out again. In the part of the slit extending possibly over the sides, widening of said slit, such as is required in the region of the bottom of the trough plates, is of course unnecessary.

In the construction of the intermediate members illustrated in Figures 8 to 10, thelower part 9 ofeach of the two-part members is formed of a pressed sheet element of substantially U-shaped cross-section on which is secured by means of a rivet 10 the upper part 11 which in this case is formed as a continuous resilient plate. As before, the slit is widened at suitably selected points, as shown at 12, by suitably profiling the lower part 9, Figure 9, inclined glide surfaces being thus formed in the top run of the belt.

The arrangement of the double chains, in the embodiment of the belt with double chains as first described, may beseen in detail particularly from Figure'stZ, 3, l0

and 12 which show various possible methods of attaching the chains one at each side of the belt. In each case attachment is to brackets which are welded laterally on to the intermediate members and which are denoted by 13 in Figures 2 and 10. According to Figure 2 the brackets have downwardly extending pegs 14 which pass through a horizontal link of the link chain 4 secured in position by a pin 15. In the somewhat modified arrangement illustrated in Figure the attachment of the chain to the intermediate member is effected by a bolt 16 passing through the bracket 13 and held by a nut 18, the head 17 of the bolt being shaped in such manner that the chain link is held by it to the bracket. Figure 12 illustrates a modified embodiment in which the brackets 13 have a horizontal slot 19 into which the chain link 4 is inserted and secured by the pin 20 which may, of course, pass through the chain link, instead of being arranged to one side thereof, as shown.

Figures 3 and 11 show by way of example two methods of fixing the chain to the track roller axle, the fixed axle 21 being welded to the intermediate member in the construction of Figure 3. Welded to the axle is an upwardly directed pin 22 over which the particular horizontal chain link is placed and is then held, as shown, by a strap 23 and nut 24. In the embodiment according to Figure 11 the axle carrying the track roller is forked, as indicated at 25. The two fork members are inserted between the limbs of the U-shaped lower part 9 of the intermediate member shown in Figures 8 and 9 and are held by pins or the like 26. The slot or gap formed by the forked construction of the axle receives the horizontal chain link which is secured against lateral movement by an extension 27 of the intermediate element.

Figures 13 and 14 illustrate embodiments of the belt in which the fundamental idea of the invention is applied by the trough plates themselves being formed with forked ends and being thereby connected to each other in movable fashion. As shown in Figure 13, this may be effected by connecting alternately a trough plate 28 forked at both ends to a completely flat trough plate 29 or, according to Figure 14, by providing each trough plate with a fork at one end and making it flat at the other end so that in each case one end of a trough plate lies in the fork of the adjacent plate. As shown at 30, for example, the forks are preferably formed by bending up the respective end edges 31 of the plates and by securing separate elements to the plates to form the lower fork members 32. The profile of the fork members is the same as already described. In these' constructions it is immaterial whether all the trough plates or, for example, every other trough plate, or whether the forked or flat plates, or both, are connected to the traction means. This last-described embodiment of the new steel link belt in itself represents a considerable simplification as compared with the known and usual belt constructions.

In the embodiments of the belt according to Figures to 20, which employ a center chain as the traction means, 41 denotes the trough plates and 43 the intermediate members of the belt pulled by the center chain 44 which is preferably a round link chain. According to Figures 15 to 19 the chain is secured to each intermediate member 43 by a strap 45 which at both ends carries lugs 46 engaging in horizontal links of the chain. The chain links are held on the lugs by tightening pins 47. At 48 is indicated the forwardly convex construction of the lateral extensions of the lugs 46, such convexity permitting rolling of the chain links on said extensions in the region of the driving and return points of the belt. The straps 45 are bent towards the chain at their ends and are then bent outwardly corresponding to the end edges of the trough plates 41 in such manner that the latter engage as closely as possible in the gaps between the straps and the edges of the intermediate members 43 without impeding the pivotal movement of the parts relatively to each other. This is achieved by the slightly 6 arcuate formation of the outwardly bent portions or flanges of the straps.

The central groove-like concavities of the trough plates in which the chain lies when passing round the chain sprockets are indicated at 49. Extending downwardly from said concavities are extensions 50, Figure 15, which ensure guiding of the trough plates when passing round the chain sprockets. These extensions engage the horizontal links of the chain and restrict the degree of longitudinal displacement so that the overlap of the trough plates and intermediate members may be kept smaller than would otherwise be necessary. The end edges of the trough plates and consequently also of the intermediate members, are made concave towards the chain, according to a particular feature of the invention. By this means, as the belt revolves round the chain wheels, the point of overlap is brought closer to the chain wheel periphery in each case, so that the overlap is well maintained or the necessary amount of overlap is limited.

Track rollers 51 are provided to carry the belt and 52 indicates pairs of guide rollers, preferably rotating about vertical axles, which are provided When the belt has to travel through curves. As is shown moreparticularly in Figure 18, the track and guide rollers are carried by a common support 53, the track rollers 51 being mounted on the upwardly bent ends 53 of said support. The guide rollers are arranged on both sidesof the center chain at a minimum distance apart, such that when travelling through curves the chain is not impeded by the smallest radius of curvature required. The track and guide rollers, which are made for example of identical construction and are therefore interchangeable, need not be provided for each intermediate member, and it is sufficient if, for example, they are provided only on every other or every third, fourth, fifth, etc. intermediate member, according to the smaller or larger radius of curvature through which the belt has to travel.

The track and guide rollers are secured to the supports by means of conical stub axles 54 carrying them, such stub axles being held by screws in corresponding bores in the said supports. As described above, the rollers 52 run in the region of curves in each case on only one outer guide rail 56 mounted on the cross-member of the supporting structure 57.

Figure 20 illustrates a modified arrangement which, although still employing a continuous center chain as the traction means, has the lugs 46 not secured by means of a strap, as in the two embodiments according to Figures 15 to 19, but attached directly to the bottom of the intermediate member. In this case downwardly bent straps or tongues 58 are provided on the trough plates 41 to form slits with the likewise downwardly bent edges 41' of the trough plate bottoms, such slits being engaged by the edges 43 of the intermediate members, i. e. the exact reverse of the arrangements according to Figures 15 to 19.

In addition to the advantages already explained in the foregoing, the new belt has the further advantage that it is completely symmetrical with regard to the troughs and carrying members and hence its entire construction, and can be operated in both directions in a particularly advantageous manner.

Since with the new belt, for the same chain wheel diameter, a substantially smaller chain pitch is obtained than is usual, it can be operated at a substantially higher speed and nevertheless with less wear, and in the case of its construction as a double chain belt, the relative movability of the troughs permits absolutely uniform distribution of the traction forces between the two chain lengths. Jamming. together of the trough plates is completely excluded and it is not necessary, as in the usual trough plate belts of this kind, for special attention to be paid to the fact that the adjacent trough plates should fit into each other with accurately dimensioned clearance, which in addition must be made of undesirably large dimensions in theseknown belts" when they are required to through curves.

Ofcourse, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described individually in the foregoing and illustrated in detail in the drawings and numerous modifications are possible without departing from the fundamental idea of the invention.

We claim:

1. A steel link belt comprising in combination a multiplicity of individual trough plates, a multiplicity of intermediate members interposed between said individual trough plates to alternate therewith and connect said individual trough plates together so as to be hingedly movable relatively to each other in the resulting continuous belt structure, each intermediate member comprising a pair of superposed plate elements rigidly secured at their center and having oppositely curved sides, the tree edges of said sides being spaced apart a distance to form a slit of a Width approximating the thickness of the adjacent trough plate slida-bly received therein, the curvature of such sides enabling the free edge portion of the respective trough plate to rock freely in one direction or the other about a pivot defined by an edge of said slit, and link chain traction means for said belt structure secured to said intermediate members, the distance of the hinged connection of the trough plates and the intermediate members from the center line of the chain traction means being less than the distance between the center line and the upper limit of the chain traction means.

2. A steel link belt comprising in combination a multiplicity of individual trough plate members, a multiplicity of intermediate members interposed between said individual trough plate members'to alternate therewith and interconnect said individual trough plate members so as to be hingedly movable relatively to each other in the resulting continuous belt structure, one of the opposite ends of each pair of said adjacent relatively hingedly movable members comprising bifurcated gripping elements rigidly secured to said end and having oppositely curved sides, the other of said ends forming a substantially flat edge portion, the free edges of said sides being spaced apart a distance to form a slit of a width approximating the thickness of said fiat edge portion slidably received therein, the curvature of such sides enabling said free edge portion to rock freely in one direction or the other about a pivot defined by an edge of said slit, and link chain traction means for said belt structure secured to said intermediate members, the distance of the hinged connection of the trough plate members and the intermediate members from the center line of the chain traction means being less than the distance between the center line and the upper limit of the chain traction means.

3. A steel link belt comprising in combination a multiplicity of individual trough plates, a multiplicity of intermediate members interposed between said individual trough plates to alternate therewith and connect said individual trough plates together so as to be hingedly movable relatively to each other in the resulting continuous belt structure, said intermediate members being forked at both ends and receiving in said forks the end edges of the trough plates connected by said intermediate members, and rotatable driving and return elements over which said belt structure passes and by which said belt structure is formed into top and bottom runs, the limbs of said fork members which are lowermost in said top run of the belt having convexities which interrupt the continuous slit formed by said fork and receiving the trough plate edges, said interruptions forming downwardly inclined glide surfaces in said top run of the belt.

4. A steel link belt according to claim 2 and further characterised in that said intermediate members are of the same length as said trough plates and are of trough shape so that they themselves form trough plates.

5. A steel link belt comprising in combination a multiplicity of individual trough plates each'forked at one end I and fiat at the other end, said flat end of one trough plate being received in said forked end of the adjacent trough plate to connect said individual trough plates together so that they are hingedly movable relatively to each other in the resulting continuous belt structure, and link chain traction means for said belt structure secured to some at least of said trough plates.

6. A steel link belt according to claim 1, and further comprising lateral brackets'secured to said intermediate members and supported on a horizontal link of said link chain traction means, rotatable roller carrying means supporting said link chain traction means, pegs extending downwardly from said lateral brackets and passing through horizontal links of said link chain traction means, and members disposed transversely of the axes of said pegs to retain said horizontal links on said pegs.

7. A steel link belt according to claim 1 and further comprising lateral brackets secured to said intermediate members and supported directly on a horizontal link of said link chain traction means, headed pins carried by said lateral brackets and provided with lateral recesses at said heads for receiving the chain link between said heads and said bracket and tightening means for said headed pins.

8. A steel link belt according to claim 1 and further comprising lateral brackets secured to said intermediate members and supported on a horizontal link of said link chain traction means, said lateral brackets having outwardly directed slots formed therein which each receive a horizontal link of said link chain traction means, and a member disposable across the open end of said outwardly directed slots to hold the chain link in position in said slot.

9. A steel link belt according to claim 1 and further comprising rotatable roller carrying axles secured to said intermediate members, vertical pegs carried by said axles and passing through horizontal links of said link chain traction means, and means for retaining said horizontal links in position on said pegs.

10. A steel link belt comprising in combination a multiplicity of individual trough plates, a multiplicity of intermediate members interposed between said individual trough plates to alternate therewith and connect said individual trough plates together so as to be hingedly movable relatively to each other in the resulting continuous belt structure, a central link chain forming traction means for said belt structure, straps provided on the bottom of each said intermediate member, lugs carried at the ends of said straps to engage in horizontal links of said chain, and means for holding said horizontal links on said lugs.

11. A steel link belt according to claim 10 and further characterised in that said straps are bent outwardly at both ends to form slightly arcuate flanges which extend under the ends of the adjoining trough plates, said trough plate ends engaging in the slit formed between said straps and said intermediate members so as to form supports for said plates, the convexity of the flange portions of said straps being such as not to impede the relative pivotal movement of said trough plates and said intermediate members.

12. A steel link belt according to claim 1 and further characterised in that the length of each trough plate is a multiple of the pitch of said chain.

13. A steel link belt comprising in combination a multiplicity of individual trough plates, a multiplicity of intermediate members interposed between said individual trough plates to alternate therewith and interconnect said individual trough plates so as to be hingedly movable relatively to each other in the resulting continuous belt structure, a central link chain forming traction means for said belt structure, a lug carried directly on the bottom of each end of said intermediatemembers to engage respectively in two horizontal links of said chain, said links being interconnected by one verticallink, and means for holding said ligrizoiltal'links on saidlugs.

9 10 14. A steel belt according to claim 13, wherein said 1,124,722 G-ardella Jan. 12, 1915 lugs engage said horizontal links approximately at the 1,380,563 Keebler June 7, 1921 centers of the latter. 2,416,634 McBride Feb. 25, 1947 2,594,342 Pettyjohn Apr. 29, 1952 References Cited in the file of this patent 5 FOREIGN PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENTS 352,226 Germany Apr. 24, 1922 23,777 Neames Apr. 26, 1859 7 8 m y y 9 3 809,827 Lucas Jan. 9, 1906 801,263 Germany Dec. 28, 1950 

